Google Art Project

If you’re a fan of ARTstor or even if you aren’t, you should take a look at Google Art Project. Google used it’s Street View technology to enable viewers to tour art several museums around the world. What about the art itself, you say? Is this just some gimmick? The answer is no. Art work is presented in ultra high resolution to allow the viewer to see every nuance of the work, even down to paint stroke and age cracking. They even include full metadata including artist history, other works, and notes. It really is an amazing project. I see this as a great tool for art faculty and anyone who has any interest in art at all. Is this the way of the future? Does it replace seeing the works in person? Maybe not, but it allows a much greater audience to view these pieces in greater detail than has been available before.